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66 THE I BOOKE OF THE Cant XIL
29
When he these bitter byting words had red,
The tydings straunge did him abashed make,
That still he sate long time astonished
As in great muse, ne word to creature spake
At last his solemne silence thus he brake,
With doubtfull eyes fast fixed on his guest,
Redoubted knight, that for mine onely sake
Thy life and honour late aduenturest,
Let nought be hid from me, that ought to be
exprest
What meane these bloudy vowes, and idle threats,
Throwne out from womanish impatient mind ?
What heauens ? what altars ? what enraged
heates
Here heaped \p with termes of loue vnkind,
My conscience cleare with guilty bands would
bind ?
High God be witnesse, that I guiltlesse ame
But if your selfe, Sir knight, ye faultie find,
Or wrapped be in loues of former Dame,
With crime do not it couer, but disclose the
3 1
To whom the Redcrosse knight this answere sent,
My Lord, my King, be nought hereat dismayd,
Till well ye wote by graue intendiment,
What woman, and wherefore doth me vpbrayd
With breach of loue, and loyalty betrayd
It was in my mishaps, as hitherward
I lately trauerld, that vnwares I strayd
Out of my way, through perils straunge and
hard,
rhat day should faile me, ere I had them all
declard
32
There did I find, or rather I was found
Of this false woman, that Fidessa hight,
Fidessa hight the falsest Dame on ground,
Most false Duessa, royall richly dight,
That easie was t' inuegle weaker sight
Who by her wicked arts, and wyhe skill,
Too false and strong for earthly skill or might,
Vnwares me wrought vnto her wicked will,
And to my foe betrayd, when least I feared ill
33
Then stepped forth the goodly royall Ma> d,
And on the ground her selfe prostrating low,
With sober countenaunce thus to him sayd ,
0 pardon me, my soueraigne Lord, to show
The secret treasons, which of late I know
To haue bene wroght by that false sorceresse
She onely she it is, that earst did throw
This gentle knight into so great distresse,
That death him did awaite in dayly wretched
nesse.
34
And now it seemes, that she suborned hath
This craftie messenger with letters vame,
To worke new woe and improurded scath,
By breaking of the band betwixt vs twaine ,
Wherein she vsed hath the practicke paine
Of this false footman, clokt with simplenesse,
Whom if ye please for to discouer plaine,
Ye shall him Archtmago find, I ghesse,
The falsest man ahue, who tries shall find no
lesse
35
The king was greatly moued at her speach,
And all with suddein indignation fraight,
Bad on that Messenger rude hands to reach
Eftsoones the Gard, which on his state did
wait,
Attachtthatfaitor false,and bound him strait
Who seeming sorely chauffed at his band,
As chained Beare, whom cruell dogs do bait,
With idle force did fame them to withstand,
And often semblaunce made to scape out of
their hand
36
But they him layd full low in dungeon deepe,
And bound him hand and foote with yron
chains
And with continuall watch did warely keepe ,
Who then would thinke, that by his subtile
trains
He could escape fowle death or deadly paines ?
Thus when that Princes wrath was pacifide,
He gan renew the late forbidden banes,
And to the knight his daughter deare he tyde,
With sacred rites and vowes for cuer to abyde
37
His owne two hands the holy knots did knit,
That none but death for euer can deuide,
His owne two hands, for such a turne most fit,
The housling fire did kindle and prouide,
And holy water thereon sprinckled wide ,
At which the bushy Teade a groonu did light,
And sacred lampe in secret chamber hide,
Where it should not be quenched day nor
night,
For feare of euill fates, but burnen euer bright
38
Then gan they sprinckle all the posts with wine,
And made great feast to solemnize that day ,
They all perfumde with frankencense diume,
And precious odours fetcht from far away,
That all the house did sweat with great aray
And all the while sweete Musicke did apply
Her curious skill, the warbling notes to play,
To driue away the dull Melancholy,
The whiles one sung a song of loue and lollity